Right place, at the wrong time
by MPGirl
Summary: Set post 1.18: Chuck knows a secret and Blair over hears his conversation with a certain someone in a dark alley. CB.
1. Chapter 1

_**Right place, at the wrong time**_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gossip Girl or any of its characters.

Thanks to my Beta for being awesome!

* * *

She breathed slowly, filling her lungs with all the air possible but it never seemed to be enough. She stood up straight, shoulders back, looking as relaxed as she could under the circumstances.

Blair held her head up high and walked into the party. Glamorous people, dressed in designer clothes, enveloped her. She was in her world.

Chuck crushed that world, leaning against a wall in his trademark scarf. She knew he would be here. Summer was over and school started Monday. That didn't make the shock his appearance caused her body any less severe. Butterflies flurrying, pulse quickening. Blair worried she might sweat: _that would just be unsanitary, not to mention ruin my dress._

* * *

Chuck wandered about the room, appearing lost. Looking for someone, he kept turning his head.

Blair changed the angle of her body to block him from her line of sight but couldn't shake the uneasiness in her stomach. She knows he's there, he's all around her.

Giving into the pull, Blair gasped, "Who are you looking for?"

Clutching her purse in her hand, she turned to attack him directly, "Some slut or is it a paid prostitute this time?"

Chuck blinked, and then smirked, "Blond, beautiful, skinny."

His stomach seemed to have a life of its own. Reveling in the jealousy he hoped he was invoking.

Blair's face darkened for a moment than the façade reappeared and she quipped, "Well then, I wouldn't look by the food. No way could she keep any thing down if she spent time with you."

Blair tried not to think about how _she_ couldn't keep food down as Chuck walked off looking for his mystery girl.

* * *

Blair was suffocating, tired of the fake smiles and giggling. She needed air so she had found a side door and escaped.

The door led to an alley, _so vile_. Old newspapers were scattered about and there were a few puddles and some mud. It must have rained during the party.

"This is quaint," she deadpanned, whispering to herself.

* * *

The man looked over his shoulder. He swore he heard something, but figured it was just some rat. _I'm going to get the plague if I stay here any longer._

He continued with his conversation, "I know everything Lilly."

"What are you talking about, Charles?" she said, a little unnerved but still upholding her normal icy manner.

* * *

Blair got close to the wall without actually touching the grimy thing, of course.

Chuck was talking with Lilly right around the corner.

Blair knew she should go back inside but gossip isn't something Blair willingly missed the opportunity to hear.

"Are you still seeing him?" Chuck interrogated.

Lilly shook her head side to side, no.

"Do you still love him?" Chuck spat out the question, disgusted that his wonderful step mother would be interested in the trash from Brooklyn.

Lilly looked down at her feet, resisting the question, "This isn't really any of your business."

She was already hurting and she just couldn't bear the look Chuck was giving her at that moment.

"I suppose its not but that never really prevents me from knowing anyway," he couldn't help but smirk.

Lilly smiled the warmest smile should could manage at her step son's words. That was the boy she knew and loved.

Relaxing his posture, Chuck breathed, "I'm not going to tell anyone."

"Thank you, Charles," she said relieved.

He took her hand and kissed it, "Any time Lilly."

"Join me back inside?" She asked.

"I'll catch up," Chuck coolly replied.

She nodded at him and went around the building to go in the front door. No one could know that the new Mrs. Bass had been spending her time in back alleys.

Still hunched against the wall, Blair put together what she had just overheard.

_Lilly had an affair._

That much was obvious to Blair.

Who was he?

**Love** was the word that made her suspect Cabbage Patch's daddy. She knew Lilly and he had been hot and heavy back in the day, that Lilly had loved him like Serena loved Dan.

It was tempting to use this information to ruin Chuck's newly formed family.

Plots were running through her brain at that very moment, but Blair would never do that to Serena or Erik, or to Lilly herself.

_So this is totally useless_.

* * *

Blair hadn't heard anything in a long time so she thought it would be safe to try and go out front and catch a cab home, wanting desperately to climb into her big bed and sleep.

She cautiously walked around the corner, trying not to slip on the wet ground, only to see Chuck Bass pacing with his fist clenched by his side.

He stopped immediately at the sight of her, staring intently into her eyes.

She gawked back for a moment.

Pursing his lip he questioned, "You heard everything?"

Her non-reaction answered for her. The silence remained and tension filled the night sky.

Breaking eye contact, Blair tried to sneak away. She had nothing to say to him.

Chuck sulked to the side, obviously defeated.

Blair realized how broken he looked, all alone in this dark alley way.

With feelings of sympathy that were causing her to be nauseous, Blair said in an even voice, "I guess it kinda sucks for you, with your weird attachment to your replacement family," she said with a pointed look. "Well I guess it all isn't so perfect."

Chuck moved closer, a menacing look masking his pain. He lowered his voice and murmured, "I have the perfect idea for what we could do . . ."

Irked, Blair muttered, "Ugh."

She took a step to leave when Chuck turned her around and pulled her to him, kissing her hard on the mouth.

Blair moved her lips with his, enjoying the sensation that she had missed all summer but then snapped out of it, and sputtered, "No. Stop."

She struggled to get out of his grasp and screamed, "Chuck!" and backed away from him.

"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it," he sneered.

Blair threw his scarf, which was half off due to their encounter, into the mud and then stalked off leaving Chuck more alone then when he started.

He fumed, resuming his pacing, wanting to scream into the darkness.

The girl he loved hated him, his family was a lie and his beloved accessory was ruined.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed reading!


	2. Butterflies

_**Chapter 2: Butterflies**_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gossip Girl or any of its characters.

* * *

His eyes were slammed shut, pressed hard against his pillow, blocking the sun that was flickering in through his curtains. A new day had begun: the first day of school, to be exact.

Chuck's insides were in a roar; anger followed by dread controlled him. His lips pursed and his teeth closed together tightly, he plopped out of his bed, making sure to keep his face away from the sun. It was too bright and happy out, a direct contrast to Chuck's mood.

He discarded his clothes and stepped into his shower, the glass closing in on him.

The water felt like daggers on his skin, pounding away what was left of him. He paused and ran his hand against a scruff mark on the shower door. The feeling of the bump on his fingers brought a pressure to his lower chest.

**Flashback.**

Chuck and Blair slammed into the shower, still attached at the lips.

He swept a piece of wet hair out of her face and brushed his fingertips along the line of her cheek bone as she sighed into his mouth.

Deepening the kiss, he pulled her closer and went to move her against the wall, but he lost his footing and Blair went into the door instead. The butterfly clip in Blair's hair, the last thing she still had on, moved from the impact and left a mark on the door from where her head had hit.

"Nice moves, Bass," she laughed sarcastically through the water.

She went to breathe but Chuck was there first, kissing her more hungrily than before, sliding his right hand up the back of her bare thigh.

Blair murmured and Chuck smirked into her mouth, "Quiet, Waldorf. Don't want the family to hear you, do you?"

She stepped on his foot in anger and he fell back up onto the wall.

Blair drawled, "So graceful."

This time Blair was on him before he could respond, her body pressed hard against his.

**End Flashback. **

The back of Chuck's mind filled with memories he didn't need anymore.

The back of his mind was also filled with a secret he didn't want to know.

Chuck always relished the power he had over other people, based on all the secrets he had collected over the years, but this secret made his stomach drop; made his whole body uncomfortable. It put a weight on his shoulders that Chuck couldn't shake off. No matter how many girls he flirted up or bottles of scotch he downed.

And this had only been 2 days of knowing.

The worst part was that he wasn't that surprised. Chuck was a realist. He knew that nothing worked out perfectly, especially not affairs of the heart.

Things were so much easier when he avoided those.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Ugh, they were couple of hicks!" Blair Waldorf gasped.

She was walking arm in arm on the way to school with her best friend Serena Van der Woodson.

"Blair!" Serena giggled, though slightly shocked at her friend's choice of words for the two scruffy men who had hit on them over the summer.

Blair smiled, keeping her tone disgusted, "They were doing the cotton eye Joe."

The two girls laughed together like the old friends they were as they turned the corner into school.

Nate, hanging out by a wall with a pouting Chuck, saw their arrival and greeted them both, "Hey! Blair, Serena," he beamed. His eyes were focused on Serena as he spoke.

"Hi, Nate," Serena chimed in.

Serena nudged Blair to respond, and she muttered, "Hi."

Chuck stared at Blair, taking in her appearance, devouring her with his eyes.

She looked just as beautiful as ever, a butterfly clip in her hair, pulling back one side of cascading curls.

Blair broke the glance, hating how aware she was of his eyes on her, and stalked off mumbling something about being late for class to Serena.

Chuck walked away, too, planning to smoke up but when he saw her pass him by, wearing the clip he bought her, he couldn't help himself. He just acted.

Passivity was never really Chuck's thing.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chuck pulled up behind Blair, his hands on her waist, pulling her close. His face was in her hair, inhaling her smell, which was giving him a high better then any joint ever would.

Blair froze and Chuck murmured, "You're wearing my gift."

"It matched my outfit. I forgot you even gave it to me," She lied.

She remembered the flutter she got when she was looking through her jewelry box this morning and saw the hair clip.

At first she had tried it on just to see how it would look, but after staring at it for fifteen minutes in the mirror she was interrupted by Serena's arrival.

Serena had complemented it and Blair, slightly frazzled by the interruption, couldn't think of a good excuse for her to change it at that point.

She had left the house, much to her dismay and her stomach's apparent joy, wearing something given to her by Chuck Bass.

And, of course, he noticed. The only person who knew was the only person who would never forget.

"Back off, Bass," she spat.

He loosened his grip on her but positioned her against the wall so she couldn't escape.

Anger filled her body, radiating from her chest. He had left her and now she couldn't get rid of him. Where did he get off!

"I mean it, Chuck, before I spill a little Van der Bass family secret."

That's not what he needed to deal with right now. Having Blair reject him like he knew she would was enough for one day.

He vented his frustration, "Cut the crap. You don't want to go there again."

"I think I do. After the stunt you pulled over the summer, not to mention on Saturday, I think blackmail is exactly what's needed."

"I was always good at knowing what you needed," he said in a low seductive voice, edging closer to her.

Blair scoffed, "Well, not anymore."

He spoke, a little unnerved but fully believing his words, "I know you Blair. You're bluffing."

"I don't know. I think an overheard conversation in a dark alley would go over well on Gossip Girl." Her eyes gleamed, "Pay back for your slip to Gossip Girl last year."

"I thought that was behind us," he countered.

"Ditch a girl on a plane and everything's fair game, Chuck."

"You would never do that to Serena." he said cockily.

"Ever think maybe I hate you more then I care for Serena?"

"There is a thin line between love and hate," he leered.

Blair quipped, "An even thinner line between disgusted and more disgusted, and to think I didn't believe that possible."

"Leave me alone, Chuck." She warned.

He just looked at her again with that the same slightly vulnerable gaze and then he turned around and left her alone, in the middle of the courtyard.

B,

_This isn't over._

-C

He didn't know what he wanted but he wasn't letting Blair go. It wasn't even an option for Chuck. Just ask the butterflies.

* * *

So this was originally a one-shot but its now a chapter fic :) Thanls for the reviews on the last chapter by the way!


	3. The Van der Bass Family Dinner

_**Chapter 3: The Van der Bass family Dinner.**_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gossip Girl or any of its characters.

**A/N:** Sorry it took so long to update and thanks for the reviews on the last chapter!

Thanks to Sharon!

* * *

Chuck appeared from his room to see Blair sitting alone on the couch.

"You were so desperate to see me you broke into my living room." He smirked.

"The only thing I'm desperate for is the ship to come and take you back to your home planet." Blair quipped.

"You never responded to my text message."

Blair shrugged and said, "And I don't plan on it. I'm through with you Chuck."

Serena returned from the bathroom and addressed her step-brother. "Chuck."

"Don't mind me. I was just passing through." Chuck said as he walked out of the room.

"What was that all about?" Serena inquired.

"Oh nothing, Chuck was just being his pig-like self." Blair explained.

Once around the corner Chuck stopped at the sound of his name, deciding to eavesdrop and see what else Blair had to say about him.

He listened for a while longer, unfortunately she never mentioned his name again.

Lilly entered from the kitchen, where she had been checking on Dinner. She smiled at her blonde daughter, laughing with her brunette friend and called, "Will Blair, be staying for dinner?"

Chuck was lurking around the corner looking bored. He popped his head out when he heard Lilly's words.

Blair, catching sight of him, threw him a deadly smile. "That would be wonderful Lilly."

"It's a pleasure to have you, Blair. Dinner will be in fifteen minutes."

* * *

Chuck pulled out a seat for Blair next to Lilly, who sat at the end of the table across from her husband.

Blair gave him her sweetest smile and said, "Thank you, Chuck, ever the gentleman."

"I do try, Blair." Chuck remarked as he took his own seat on the left side of Blair.

"It's nice to see you and my son have come to some sort of truce." Bart said.

"Oh you know me and Chuck. . . ." Blair kept her pristine smile on her face as she stepped on Chuck's foot with her heel.

Chuck muttered a curse but tried to cover it up by laughing awkwardly. Blair joined him, managing a fake giggle.

"I don't get the joke." Erik said, confused.

"I'll explain it too you another time Brother." Chuck gave a nod in Erik's direction.

There was pause in the conversation filled by a cell phone. Blair immediately looked too see whose it was.

Lilly silenced her phone but not before Blair got a chance to read the caller ID.

Rufus.

"Sorry about that." Lilly smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Who was it mom?" Serena asked.

"Oh, just a head of one of my committees." Lilly fibbed.

"If you don't mind me asking, which one? You have such good connections." Blair pried.

"It was about Cotillion."

"A little early isn't it." Blair kinked her eyebrow. "That's not till December."

"It is the biggest social event of the season, Blair." Lilly was getting a bit frustrated now. "There is a lot to do."

"Of course." Blair nodded her head, a smirk playing on her lips.

* * *

Chuck finished his story about his encounter with a Victoria secret model. Lilly and Erik laughed, while Serena looked like she was going to vomit. Bart scowled at his son's obvious bravado about his debauchery; and Blair looked jealous.

"Wish that was you, Waldorf? I would be happy to show you sometime." Chuck spoke low enough so only Blair could hear.

Blair glared at him ready to retort.

She was interrupted by Lilly yelling, "Margarite!"

"I'm going to go see what's taking her so long with dessert." Lilly sighed.

Blair rose out of her chair quickly. "Let me help you with that."

Chuck's eyed Blair. Trying to see what her motive was.

_She could just be sucking up, _he thought.

"That's very sweet of you Blair."

And with that the two women exited the dining room.

* * *

"Well here's the cake. Where Margarite is, I don't know," Lilly laughed.

"Why was your ex-lover calling you?" Blair didn't see any use in prolonging the start of the conversation.

"I must be missing something, Blair." Lilly's eyes went cold.

"You know, you were a groupie and he was almost famous. Now you're a cheater and he's helping you."

Lilly stayed silent, her eyes filled with shock as he mind tried to process what was happening.

"I'm not a big fan of cheating." Blair continued.

Lilly finally found her voice and bit, "You took Nate back, if I remember correctly."

"He and I are long over, just like supposedly you and Rufus. Hmm . . ."

"How do you even know about that?" Lilly asked suspiciously.

* * *

Back at the dinner table, the family was getting impatient.

"What is taking them so long?" Bart questioned. He really liked cake.

"I'll go see what the hold up is Father." Chuck volunteered.

He left the room but stopped in front of the door at the sound of Blair's voice.

"That doesn't really matter. I can't believe you would do this."

In the kitchen, Blair moved closer to Lilly as she attacked, "Not to mention, your sons would each be crushed to lose their new brother and Serena wouldn't be thrilled about you dating her ex-boyfriends father."

"You're stepping over the line, Blair." Lilly's face was cold as ice.

"Someone has too. You are still in contact with him."

_Lilly was speaking to Rufus. That's who called her at dinner_. Chuck finally understood.

"I haven't been speaking to him. This was the first time he's called me."

Blair studied her expression and decided she was telling the truth.

"And you have no plans to leave Bart?" Blair asked.

"No." She continued trying to save face, "Not that I have to explain myself to a seventeen year old girl."

Blair relaxed her shoulders and said, "I guess we should go back. Somebody probably noticed our absence by now."

The women walked out of the room, Lilly followed by Blair. Chuck put his back up against a wall and when he saw Blair, he put his hand on her arm to get her attention.

"I need to borrow you for a second." He whispered into her ear. He managed a smile for her as he pulled Blair by the arm into a hall closet.

"What are you doing?" She was speaking with tone of disgust, "Let go of me Chuck."

Chuck's smile just grew wider. He shut the door behind him and, unbeknownst to him at the time, he had knocked the lock on the outside.

"Why did you bring me to a closet?" Blair seethed.

"_Both_ of her sons, Blair. I had no idea you cared enough to confront Lilly like that." He chuckled under his breath at her obvious irritation.

"I was playing on her sympathy for her formally suicidal son. I knew it would make her feel guilty. I also happen to know someone who I care about, who this information effects."

Chuck raised his eyebrows, putting a smug expression on his face.

"My best friend, Serena. I obviously didn't do it for you Chuck." She added the last part, hoping to wipe that expression off of his face.

Though to herself she admitted, _maybe just a little._

He knew that was going to be her answer, but he liked to push her buttons, none the less.

"You were never going to tell, Waldorf." He couldn't resist the opportunity to rub that in.

"Shut up," was all she responded. He was right but she wasn't going to admit defeat, so she turned to leave.

Her stomach dropped. "The handles stuck."

"Let me do that for you." Chuck rolled his eyes.

He went to turn the door nod, but it wouldn't move for him either. He eyed Blair's hair and knew he could use a clip to open the door but saw no fun in that.

He smirked, "I guess we're locked in."

"You better have brought your cell phone with you."

"Because I always bring my phone with me when I go to check on my mother and former lover."

"Emphasis on the word former," Blair spat. "Ew, I'm gonna have to yell for help."

"From past experience you can scream pretty loud when you want to." Chuck sneered.

So Blair yelled, screeched, and made her fist red from knocking on the door so many times. No body came or made any acknowledgement that they heard her.

"They'll have to come looking for us eventually right." Blair's face was a mix of worry and pain.

Her hands really hurt.

"Trust me, normally, when I leave a room with a girl they don't come looking for me." He held a devious expression on his face.

* * *

"Where did Blair and Chuck go?" Serena said, worried.

"From past experience I've learned its best not to bother Charles when he and a young lady seem to be missing." Bart interjected. He cleared his throat and took a drink of his scotch.

Serena gagged.

* * *

Blair rubbed her right hand and winced.

"Is that blood?" Chuck asked.

He was referring to the small cut on Blair's knuckle.

"From knocking on the door," Blair said, her eye brows low.

"You really wanted to get out of here that badly" Chuck took her hand in his palm, looking over the cut. It seemed to have stopped bleeding.

Blair looked up at Chuck's expression. He seemed hurt by that notion. "That bothers you, doesn't it." Her gaze remained locked on his face.

"You're not the only one who lost something you know." Chuck muttered.

Blair laughed a harsh laugh. "You blew it. I gave you a chance and you screwed up. end of story."

"I don't just stop when you tell me to, princess. I'm not your little puppy eyed boy toy."

Rage filled Blair. She was annoyed with Chuck for thinking she should give a damn about him.

And she was mad at herself because she still did give a damn.

"I hate you," Blair said fervently. "You're an unnecessary, waste of space in my life, Chuck." Her voice remained strong but tears were clouding her vision as she spoke.

His eyes were glassy, his voice husky as he said, "I haven't been in your life for awhile."

Blair continued on with her rant, venting, "You bother me incessantly. We both know you get your kicks out of making me miserable. What other explanation is there for you making a speech about true love." Blair rolled her eyes and made quotations marks with her hands has she said 'true love.'

"And then ditching me." She spoke with disgust in her voice as she finished.

Her bottom lip quivered as a hot tear fell over her mouth.

"Blair, I really am sorry." He spoke quietly, looking her dead in the eye.

"And I really don't want to hear it. Just don't talk to me." She sulked off to a corner, as far away from Chuck Bass as possible.

* * *

Fifteen minutes had passed with no talking. Blair had stopped crying and was now staring blankly at the wall of towels.

Chuck was seriously thinking of asking Blair for her clip so he could open the door. Sitting here was doing no one any good.

Blair started glancing at Chuck. She thought he couldn't tell but he could.

"Like what you see?" He pursed his lips.

Not wanting to sit in silence or let Blair leave, Chuck said, "Nice hissy fit."

Blair sighed dramatically, turned around and then said, "Sorry I'm not Miss Fairy sunshine twenty four hours a day."

Chuck walked over to Blair as he spoke. "If you were I would have to strangle you with my sca-" Chuck stopped mid word when he realized Blair had ruined his beloved accessory.

He missed that piece of fabric.

"Poor Baby!" Blair deadpanned. "You miss your security scarf."

Now Chuck was the irritated one. "What happened to not talking?"

Chuck had a wicked thought of an activity that did not involve talking. He closed the gap between them and leaned his head down and kissed her passionately on the mouth before Blair could stop him.

She looked up at him with fury.

He simply leered, "What? No talking required, though, we could talk dirty if you like."

He didn't seem to be making any progress with all the talk in the world, so why not do what he did best.

Chuck pulled her to him again and Blair gave herself over to the kiss fully this time.

"I still hate you and this doesn't change anything." Blair pondered aloud, reaffirming the information for her self as well as Chuck.

"I wouldn't dream of thinking it." he breathed. "Where were we?" he said, taking Blair into his arms.

She stopped him to add, "No one needs to know about this." She glared at him.

"Why don't you just admit it, Waldorf. You can't keep your pretty little hands off me." A smirk was playing on his lips.

She twisted his hair painfully in her fingers. "This works a lot better when you don't talk."

Chuck continued to smirk through the pain and surrendered to her kiss.

* * *

Blair was kissing Chuck furiously. She had removed his tie and was now working on the buttons of his shirt.

The golden handle on the door turned but Chuck and Blair were too busy to notice.

"Oh my god! Super sorry Chuck," A boy yelled. "I was looking for a towel."

"Brother, I think its best you leave. Now." Chuck growled. He softened his expression when he saw Erik twitch at his reaction.

"Please." He tried to smile but ended up gritting his teeth.

Erik didn't need to hear another word and he was out, muttering something under his breath.

"Finally." A grin graced Blair features. "I can get out of this place."

"Eh, I always knew how to jimmy the door open. I could have gotten us out if I wanted too." Chuck admitted.

"You knew how to get us out of here all along!" She shrieked.

She kicked him in the shin and left with a curt, "Bye Bass."

* * *

"Blair! Are you okay?" Serena said, noticing her friends less then happy expression.

Blair kept moving. "I'm fine, S. I'll call you later, k?"

"Blair . . ." Serena called after a now departed Blair.

Chuck emerged from the closet and Serena honed in on him.

"What did you do to her?" She asked him urgently.

"Nothing she didn't want me to do."

"Leave her alone, Chuck. She doesn't need your crap."

"I think Blair can tell me for herself what she needs." He narrowed his eyebrows. "Butt out sister."

And with that Chuck left Serena whose mouth remained open in the middle of the room.

He met his Father on the way to his room. Bart started with the small talk. "Nice family dinner tonight."

Chuck nodded as he turned into his room and said, "One for the books."

* * *


	4. An Attempt at Moving Forward

_**Chapter 4: An Attempt at Moving Forward.**_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gossip Girl or any of its characters.

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter!!

* * *

Chuck was replaying his latest encounter with Blair, the images flowing through his head.

"_Both__ of her sons, Blair. I had no idea you cared enough to confront Lilly like that."_

He truly hadn't known she cared enough.

After all, she had chosen Nathanial over him and had crawled back to him only when she was all alone.

Chuck loved this girl, but was completely unsure of her feelings for him.

There were times he thought maybe, just maybe, she felt a lurch in her stomach when she saw him as well.

The way she glowed as she led him off the dance floor at his father's wedding. How sincerely she had kissed him goodbye on her birthday. Even when she said she hated him earlier that evening, he couldn't help but think maybe, if she cared enough to hate him, it's because she loved him underneath all her pride.

And the biggest clue was that she had confronted Lilly. Blair Waldorf enjoyed being a bitch, but her claws were sharpest when defending someone she loved. She knew Chuck loved his family. And while Serena and Erik were certainly people she cared deeply for, the look on her face, and how harshly she responded when he asked her about the confrontation, gave him a distinct feeling part of her did it for him.

He felt pressure in his chest, his stomach felt empty and yet full of nerves.

Did this mean Blair Waldorf actually cared for him?

He knew her so well; he knew that when she cared, she cared fiercely, just like him.

Chuck shut his eyes to stop himself from admitting what he knew to be true.

Blair Waldorf loved him.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She turned on her side for the fifth time that night.

_Why did I let him kiss me?_

A lump built up in her throat, because she knew the answer to that question. She had wanted him, too.

She loved him, for whatever stupid reason.

Maybe it was the way his lips pulled into a smirk or how his eyes bore into herevery time he looked at her, like he was really seeing her the way no one else could.

_I should have never let him get to me again. _

Her insides shook, but she couldn't allow herself to be disappointed. She had at least yelled at him.

_He did deserve my rant. I just wish I had never let him see me so vulnerable again. Not after what he did. _

Her lids moved halfway over her eyes at the memory of the sinking feeling that had overcome her when she realized Chuck wasn't coming.

_I'm not supposed to let him have that power over me. I'm supposed to forget him, because he's not worth my time. _

The best she could manage over the summer was trying to hate him.

But she only hated him because she didn't hate him at all.

Between actively trying to not talk to him and glaring at him while she flirted up randoms, she missed him.

She missed him so much she started fighting with him just to have some sort of contact with him.

And now she was letting herself get to close to him again. She knew his secret, she hadtold off Lilly at least partially for him. She had cried in front of him.

And he had told her he was sorry.

She knew Chuck was actually sorry since he had gone so far as to say the words. The only other time he did that was on her birthday.

Blair had let him in a little that night and perhaps it was time to let Chuck in again.

She was in so far already. All she needed was to know how he felt, to be able to truly trust him again, and she would be his.

She didn't seem to have a choice in the matter. Those butterflies are very persistent.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chuck and Blair made it four days into the second week of school without any major blowouts.

Blair would catch his eyes on her and would meet his gaze as she passed him in the hall, but she never said a word. After what had happened last Friday there seemed to be some sort of truce.

Blair had lashed out at Chuck, and he had apologized.

Each had reached a conclusion the other did not know of yet. They needed to move forward and were keeping things peaceful till they found a way to do that.

On Thursday, the two finally exchanged words.

They found themselves blocking each others' way into their respective school buildings.

Chuck's eyes stared forcefully into Blair's. He greeted her, "Hello, Blair." He kept his tone casual, polite even.

"Hi, Chuck," she responded, even giving him a small smile, her eyes staring just as deeply into his.

Serena, who was standing next to Blair, looked like she had been hit over the head with a brick as she watched the two. Where were the insults? Instead, she was witnessing such intense eye contact that it made her feel like she must be intruding on a private moment she just couldn't understand.

Then at almost exactly the same time, Blair walked to the left and Chuck to the right, avoiding a collision. It was as if they had telepathically conceived the plan during the moment they had just shared.

The next day the two had lunch together.

"Why are you sitting here, Chuck?" Serena asked her stepbrother. He had just sat down across from her.

"It's a free courtyard, Sis," he smirked. "And if you must know Nathaniel is out sick today." He adjusted in his seat. In his new position his knee was grazing Blair's.

She darted her eyes up from her yogurt and found Chuck's face. He just continued to smirk at her.

"Just let him stay, S," Blair simpered as she moved her foot up Chuck's pant leg. "It's much easier then forcing him to leave."

Chuck cleared his throat.

Serena eyes peered into Chuck and Blair's faces, searching for what she mustbe missing. She gave up and muttered, "If it's okay with you, B. I guess, you know, whatever."

Blair popped a grape into her mouth, and Chuck's mind went wild with all the fun they could have with those grapes.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chuck was having a good day. He had had lunch with Blair, and she hadn't bitten his head off.

Lilly stumbled in from the kitchen with a genuine smile on her lips, her phone clutched in her left hand.

_Who, or what, put that smile on the ice queen's face? _

"Hello, Charles. Did you have a good day at school?" The smile was still present on her lips.

Chuck stood up and kissed her hand as he murmured, "Lilly. And it was satisfactory day, yes." He matched her grin.

"Ah, that's nice to hear. Have you seen my phone charger?" She turned her head looking at the outlet by the end table. She spotted the black appliance. "There it is."

She walked over and attached her phone and then exited out of the room with the smile still adorning her face.

Chuck's grin disappeared. Who had she been talking to? He may have been paranoid, but it never hurt to check.

He flipped open the phone and found her recently dialed calls. The list read: Bart, Serena, Eric, and Bendel's. No Rufus. Relief filled Chuck's abdomen.

He then checked her recently received calls. There were three calls all from an unknown number. The person was evidently not in Lilly's contacts. He added the number to his own phone in the absence of paper in the surrounding vicinity.

He closed the phone and placed it exactly as it had been before and then made his own exit. He had a call to make, and privacy would be needed.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

He knew where the call was from. A P.I. was useful that way.

He was almost hundred percent sure who would be calling his stepmother, but he had to see it with his own eyes. So that Saturday, Chuck went for a drive, and he decided he could use some company.

"Wanna take a road trip?" Chuck propositioned Blair through his cell phone. He didn't even say hello.

She was sitting straight in her chair as she quipped, "How middle class. Where to?"

"It's a surprise. I'll pick you up in five." And he hung up the phone.

She kinked her eyebrows as she closed her phone and walked into her elevator, wondering if her attire would be appropriate for there destination.

* * *


	5. If You Love Me, Won't You Let Me Know

_**Chapter 5: If You Love me, Won't You Let me Know.**_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gossip Girl or any of its characters.

**A/N: **I'm so sorry it took me forever to update :( Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone! This is the final chapter!

Thanks to Tatiana!!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Brooklyn? Seriously? You really know how to woo a girl Chuck," Blair snapped.

"I just have to confirm something, then we can go where ever you want. The back of my limo is available," he teased.

"I hate you."

She was joking. He knew that. He had just had the revelation that she cared, but her words still made his stomach tighten.

Chuck stopped in his tracks and zeroed in on the pay phone.

Rufus.

It wasn't shocking or anything. This was who Chuck had expected, but he still felt like he had been kicked in the gut.

Chuck's eyes narrowed as he watched the scene unfold before him. He absently reached his left hand out, as if he was looking for something.

Blair grabbed his hand and entwined her fingers in his.

That was what he had been looking for.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The two had gone to dinner and then shopping. Chuck even suffered through a dumb chick flick because, for whatever reason, Blair wouldn't just let him go home.

She couldn't. Not when he looked so wrecked.

Blair had finally relented ten minutes before.

Chuck laid his head against the cool leather of the seat. He felt Blair unlatch her hand from his, she been holding it most of the day, and he immediately missed the contact.

He stared aimlessly out the window, trying not to think about what day it would be in a few minutes. Maybe what day it already was. He hadn't looked at the time in a couple of hours.

"Chuck!" She trilled.

He snapped out of his fog, but not in time, as he felt her hand slam into his head.

"For God's sake, Blair! Was that really necessary?" He howled.

"It's never necessary. That doesn't mean it's not fun," she smirked.

He couldn't help but let out a low chuckle.

"Now don't make a big deal out of this, or I will slap you so hard, you will wish you were never born," she glared at him, which he found that completely adorable.

"I love it when you talk dirty Blair," he retorted.

"Just take it," Blair said as she handed him a neatly wrapped package.

He eyed the gift before opening the red wrapping paper. He lifted the lid on the box and saw a crisp white card with butterflies on the edge. It read:

_Dear Chuck,_

_Happy Birthday._

_Love, _

_Blair._

His insides warmed and he felt his face get hot.

**Love**, Blair.

Chuck knew it was something some people wrote out of habit, but no one had ever written that on a card to him before. No one had ever told them they loved him, in any shape or form, in his entire life.

His father had tried once, at least Chuck thought that was what he was doing. It came out like a gurgle, and then Bart walked away a little more flushed than when he had arrived.

"Are you going to open the gift or not, Bass?" Blair's voice brought him back to reality.

He nodded and saw how expectant her doe eyes were. His insides rose in temperature again.

He moved the tissue paper to find a duplicate of the scarf he had worn around his neck since he was six years old.

"I figured I ruined the old one, and I know you liked that thing, though God knows why. It's so ugly."

His sixth birthday, His father had come down and handed him the gift. Chuck wasn't wise enough at the time to realize time that the nanny picked it out.

He started to wear it everywhere and, a few years later, when he did realize that Bart probably had no idea what he was even giving his son for his birthday, it was easier to pretend that Bart cared. That he had taken the time to get something nice for his son.

Even though the truth was that Chuck's birthday had never been a day of celebration. His father always looked at him with disdain more evident in his eyes on that occasion.

Bart never forgot his son's birthday like he did most other things, however. But Chuck knew that was only because it was tied to the death of the person Bart Bass would always love most. Even if she had been dead eighteen years now.

The person he loved most.

Chuck knew that was the person sitting next to him, the girl who remembered his birthday. The only girl to ever give him butterflies.

He always wondered if his dad loved him. If he was this inhuman thing no one could ever care about, and he couldn't bear the thought of her thinking the same thing.

That's why he had run away**.** She couldn't get to know him better only to realize he had no redeeming qualities. That he was worthless.

But, mostly, he didn't want her to ever feel unloved. To experience that emptiness that he lived with everyday.

That feeling disappeared when he was with her.

He couldn't lose that feeling. He couldn't end up like Bart. He had to let her know how he felt.

But he didn't think he would be able to say it out loud.

Maybe he didn't have to.

"You got a pen?" He asked.

She rummaged through her purse and gave him a ball point pen.

"What for?" She inquired, her curiosity clearly piqued.

"Patience is a virtue, Waldorf."

He flipped the card she had given him over and scribbled something on the back. He cleared his throat and gave her the paper, their hands grazing during the transaction.

_Blair, _

_Thank you for the scarf. I'm sure lots of kinkiness will abound._

Blair rolled her eyes, then took an intake of breathe.

_Love, _

_Chuck._

Love and Chuck. In the same sentence.

This time, Blair was the one whose face was on fire.

Her whole body was on fire. She felt alive.

Blair reread those two words fifteen times in her head before locking eyes with Chuck.

Neither said anything. Chuck moved his face closer to hers, bridging the gap between them.

Blair couldn't stand the tension any longer. She felt like she was about to burst, so she grabbed Chuck by the face and kissed him hard.

That's when the emptiness inside Chuck disappeared. He felt whole, less broken, like he always did with Blair.

He felt loved.

Chuck pulled away from this kiss and his eyebrow kinked.

"What?" Blair asked breathlessly.

"Just thought of the perfect birthday present," he smirked.

"I already gave you a gift, you pig!" She said in mock outrage.

"Come on now, Waldorf, we all know you're the gift that keeps on giving."

She went to push him away, but she was pulled back in for a kiss instead.

So his family may still be a mess, but at least he had a new scarf.

And he was lucky enough that the girl he loved more than anything loved him back.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_**The End**_


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